Picturespicturespictures!

I'm back, with a first look at Ben Fogletto's amazing cover art for Hellfire Lounge 4: Reflections of Evil, coming in August to a bricks-and-mortar and online bookseller near you.



And if that weren't enough, Edd Coutts has done a stunning job of capturing the moment when Eddie Woodhouse meets the Luftwaffe on the Hindenburg. Yep, "Glass Transit", my contribution to the anthology, features Eddie and Ducky "Duke D'Or" Orr, everybody's favorite hard luck sorcerers, on Nazi Germany's biggest flying bomb. Don't say you weren't warned.



And I've posted pictures of RavenCon! The short version can be found in my Thursday Thirteen for Beyond the Veil. But there's more, lots more, on my Flickr page. Enjoy!

#

Boosting the Signal for a Good Cause and a Fun Promotion

Nope, no RavenCon pictures...yet. But give a girl a break. I've got over a hundred photos and three interviews to assemble.
Meanwhile, I thought I'd join the chorus pimping David Farland's Book Bomb. Per the Book Bomb Facebook page, David's son Ben suffered catastrophic injuries earlier this month. Conservative estimates, place the cost of his care at over $1 million. I don't know David or his family personally, but like many folks, I've learned a lot from his journal and frequent kicks in the pants. Now's the time to say thanks by helping out.
On a much happier note, my good friend and frequent co-conspirator Danielle Ackley-McPhail has an interesting promotion in the works. In her own words:
Hi, All. I received a wonderful review yesterday for my solo science fiction collection, A Legacy of Stars (DTF Publications/Dark Quest Books). It made my day, but it came with something of a mystery, which I’ll quote here: “One of the cleverest first contact stories to come along in a long time.” (Analog, June 2013 issue)
Where is the mystery, do you ask? See…there are two first contact stories in the collection. Now I could just ask the reviewer which one he thought was the cleverest, but where is the fun in that? I say this calls for a contest. For the next week I will be taking a poll on what you thought was the cleverest first contact story in the book.
How it works: If you really like me and want to give some support to a small press author buy the ebook version of the book for $2.99 and give it a read.
Kindle
NOOK
Or, email me at greenfirephoenix (at) aol.com and I will send you a PDF file of the two stories in question. Whichever route you take, read the stories: "Building Blocks" and "To Look Upon The Face of God" and click the rafflecopter below by April 20 (EST) with your pick for which is the cleverest. Afterwards the reviewer, Don Sakers, will answer the question on my Facebook page. Two people will win a free, autographed copy of the print version of A Legacy of Stars.
Rafflecopter
To help share this promo visit this link. Click here to read the full review
Danielle Ackley-McPhail

#

Heading to RavenCon

Between deadlines and conventions, 2013 is shaping up as a wonderfully busy year.

For those of you who missed it, I was one of the guests of honor at James Madison University's Madicon the first weekend in March. I had a great time with old friends and new, and as usual, I have the pictures to prove it.

This weekend will find me in Richmond at RavenCon. This year's writing guests of honor are Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta. The artist guest of honor is The Devil's Panties creator Jennie Breeden. I'm looking forward to all their panels, but I confess, I'm especially looking forward to Jennie's. Her web videos are laugh-so-loud-you-scare-the-cat funny, even when she's hawking merchandise. I can only hope to compete on my five panels.

Yeah, you know what's coming--my RavenCon schedule:

Friday
3 p.m., Room F
Steampowered--the Rage of the New Victorians
From werewolves to anti-zombie airship pilots, the Empire has struck back. What is it about this genre and time period that is so appealing. Is it the machinery? The celebration of intellect? Or is it the clothes?
Carl Cipra (Moderator), Laura Anne Hill, Jean Marie Ward, Susan Zee

11 p.m., York Room
Yes, But is it Funny? Comedy in Science Fiction
...And presumably everything else. This is the late night panel. You really think we're going to stay on topic? Mwahahaha!
Jim Bernheimer, Bud Sparhawk, Jean Marie Ward (Moderator), Joan Wendland

Saturday
2 p.m., Anna Room
Judging a Book by its Cover
What are the latest trends in science fiction, fantasy and horror covers? What do you love--and hate--about book covers? And what are the latest trends?
Betty Cross, Jean Marie Ward (Moderator), J. Andrew World

4 p.m., Room E
Beyond Steampunk
Gaslight fantasy. Weird west. Dieselpunk. Cyberpunk. Explore the punked-out fictions that are not set in a British Victorian or Edwardian past.
Betty Cross, Laura Anne Hill, Jean Marie Ward (Moderator), Susan Zee

Sunday
1 p.m., Room E
The Discreet Charm of the Historical Fantasy
What prompts otherwise sane writers to spend years researching Imperial Japan, the Silk Road, or the Ripper's London. How do they know when they've gotten it right?
Day Al-Mohamed, Maggie Allen, KT Pinto, Jean Marie Ward (Moderator)

Hope to see you there!

#